IOhn Jackson, in the printing of my Papers (so far as thou hast printed my words) in that I rejoyce, and shall rejoyce the more it is preached, though some preach Christ of envie, but thy deceits ought not to be hid least I partake with thee therein.

In thy title page thou saies, (published at the request of some, &c.) and in thy letter to me thou said (thy Spirit was free, to publish it) and that it were thus with thee, and this was before some of my answers was written: did some body request thee to publish the answer to my Papers, respective­ly (as thou saies) before they was written? this is but a poore shift, but it must serve where no better can be got, & when the Leopard changes his spots, then will that Spirit deale plainly: but did none of those (some) request thee to answer my Queries, which thou hast printed unanswered; And that letter I sent to Samuel Tull and thee, and the rest. If they had not beene partiall in their requests; they might have spoken one word for me, that I might have received once an answer from thee, having so often answered thy Queries both by words divers times and also by writing, but it seemes both thou and the requesters are got above that law (to do as you would be done unto) or to deale e­qual, to others as your selves; that feed is wanting, where the world raignes, yet shall not that keepe me, from laying open the truth I have received.

Thou saies, Judge not according to appearance, &c. I say what else can they judge with, who denies the light within? but will not this destroy your former doctrine? may one [Page 2]now judge and not see the face. The thing for which thou have to much opposed me, did'st thou not before deny any way of intelligence but outward appearance? and said thou durst not beleive it: it seemes thy faith is changed since then, or else thy tongue: but here its seene how Christs words suits your doctrine and practice; Thou may be ashamed if thou denie the light of Christ within any more: either must men judge according to the light within, or by outward ap­pearance.

Somthing thou hast added in the conclusion as an excuse, wherein thou desires the Reader to compare with what went before, and try if there be any such thing said as may circumscribe, or limit the most high in his message to per­sonal knowledge, or information of men: to which I say, thou said; If I had another way of intelligence besides sight and hearing, or outward appearance, without words, &c. Thou durst not beleive it, besides thy reproaching it with the name of bitter assaults of the enemy and the like; And she said to whom I wrote, she doth more wonder how I durst adventure, upon one I know not, whose face I never saw, (as touching the message, I was moved to write to her) If this be not as much to circumscribe & limit the message of God; to personall knowledge and information of men, as in your lies, all may plainly judge, seeing neither her daring nor thy reproach, could stop it for doing its worke, yet have you both as much with-stood it as the creature can, the minde of the creature, sent in message, and this you will find in the end.

And whereas you call it a heavie charge, I say your seek­ing to cast it off, wil but make heavier; could you breake the Yoake of Wood, for you must be prepared Iron, thus shall it be to all who kicke at his message; And whereas you tell of her being unknowne or seene, I say knowne and seene she is and thou also: with that which changeth not, before I writ to either of you, though thy name thou did'st con­ceale, but this the blind knowes not, who hates the light yet that which thou calls J. N. thou may see so the ground of your opposition, must be want of outward knowledge, [Page 3]else your ground is false judged with that which reveales that in man which man knows not.

There is one thing thou hast put in the Margent as though I had not answered (to wit) the redemption of the body, which must have relation to her letters who saith she is still kept groaning for adoption (to wit, redemption of the body) and hath her own deceivings in her, un­tryed, and yoakes of sinfull covenant in her unbroken, and yet she knowes her selfe to be in the Kingdom.

To which I answered before that no selfe-deceiving not sinfull Covenant comes in the Kingdom of God, unless thou and she meane the Kingdom of this world; and call that the Kingdom of Grace, a new coyned word to cover your pride and worldly glory, for thats the grace the world loves and its Kingdom; And such a Son and Sonship the world lookes for; and there the Son finds you, now he is come; And for groaning for adoption; I told thee, the Kingdome of God consisted not in groaning for adoption but in righteousness peace and joy; and none are there but Sons, and as they are new borne, and this is a plaine an­swer to all that know Sonship; but who denies the light of the Sun must needs stumble, though at noone day, and all thou alledges against it to any purpose is that in the 8 to Rom, where the Apostle tells of the creatures groan­ing, and traveling waiting for adoption (to wit) the redemp­tion of the body: where its plaine the condition there spoken of, was such who had received the first fruits, but the Sons of God was not yet revealed, as in the 19 vers yet having the first fruits of the Spirit, they was in hope of the fullness, and so was travelling painfully, towards the King­dom and rest of God; where noe travell, paines nor groaning is, where the Sons of God rejoyce together with­out rebuke; but this the Sons of the stranger who rejoyce in the things of this world, knowes not, nor can their i­maginations get into it, though it be told over againe but still are groaping and Questioning about that which God hath hid and sealed from that wisdom and prudence, and he is cursed that opens it to that seed, any further then the [Page 4]Scriptures hath, which is all a parable, and the Serpent never the wier, for its not like he that is in the world should know, who is in the Kingdom; nor can he see him­selse to be without, who denies the light of Christ to be sufficient, who inlightens every man that comes into the world, and though the Apostles ministering to the severall measures of them to whom they spoke, did come downe to their measures, and so said (we) as in James 3.9. and di­vers other places, yet their conditions it was not then, they was come through those things, and as touching their own measures, they had to say, which then they was not able to beare to whom they spoke, nor was that they knew (in respect of their owne measure) lawfull to utter to the weake: their wisdom was not to speake all they knew, though the Serpent speaks all he imagines, & more then he knowes. 1 Cor. 3.2. 2 Cor. 12.4 And still would be climbing to know; but its death for him to obey what he knows, and in this nature art thou seene to be, who art glorying in words without life, and practice, and hath gathered with wisdom, many words from others, which are not thine owne nor fulfilled in thee, these thou hast put forth that thou may seeme to be some body, and so art glorying in appearance in that which is not wrought in thee; for this I say, had the Saints of God, whose words thou hast got, taken up no other Cross then thou dost nor lived no other life, nor been acted by ano­ther Spirit, in other waies then thy practice, thou hadst had no Scripture to have taken those words out of, and so now thou hast got them, the Saints words do but little suite thy practice; They were holy men of God and their worke was to waite upon God, in life, and not in words alone: but thou art a man of the world, and a servant there­to in its waies words and pleasures, according thereto art thou fashioned, which they was not; Thou cannot owne their life, nor will their words cover thee, by talking them over, thou cannot behold them but thou may see thy con­demnation, and the life will find thee out

Its the Saints life that judges and tryes the Spirits and waies that are in the world; Its that you cannot pervert [Page 5]nor wrest, hypocrits, worldlings, and carnall mindes, who live in pride, oppression and deceipt, gets their words once a weeke to talke on; And with your disobedient wisdome, you twine them to your own lusts, and in your wills which are not obedient to the Cross of Christ you handle the letter which the life gave forth, but the life you deny, and the light you hate and oppose; both in your selves and others, and yet you would be called Christians, when Christ you have not, in his life, power, will, nor o­bedience, only you have him in your mouthes to talke on, but the God of this world having possession of your hearts hath so blinded the eye, and alienated you from the life of God, that you can neither heare, nor see, nor know him where he is come, but like the blind Jewes, are thinking of his coming in observations without you, but cannot re­ceive his light and appearance within, nor owne his life where it is brought forth in others without, so its plaine you are seeking another Christ or in another manner, then ever he appeared in flesh, and another glory, then he was ever cloathed with, in this world in his dispised ones: so his words are your condemnation who cannot own his waies but if thou wilt have an interest in the Saints words and not therwith to be condemned, come to the Saints life and read the Scriptures, there, a little of them; there will serve thy turne in that nature thou lives in; if thou there come and make proofe of thy selfe in that thou canst not wrest, thou likes to be covered with their words; but lay by thy stateliness, and come to be covered with their glo­ry, which Christ and all his used to be clad withall, in this world, that which the world strives not for, read Christ in his wants and wanderings, hunger, and nakedness mocking, buffeting, stocking, stoning, prisonings, Luk, 2.3.4 1 Cor. 4.10.11.12.13. in his temptings, fasting, whippings, banishings out of townes, and Cities, and Countries, as a signe to be spoken against eve­ry where, a stumbling stone and rock of offence to all sorts of professions especially to the wisest, as the off scouring, scum, and filth of the world, and a gazing-stock where ever he comes in flesh; so he is to this day, who suffer the opposition of all the wicked, this is [Page 6]his glory, and this is his joy in this world; wherein we rejoyce to be counted worthy to suffer with him, and if thou wilt read him in these lines, in life without thy sut­tle meanings, then shalt thou know a joy the world meddels not with, nor will thy worldly Spirit delight to be cloathed with this glory, though thou canst glory much in their words, who were thus glorified; but were you to medle no more with their words then you live in their practice, & so cease boasting of other mens lines made ready without you, we should have many eloquent teachers now, as dumbe as those was, as Isaiah speaks of in his time, to whom he preached the Covenant of light which they op­posed. Woe unto you! a sad day is coming upon you all, who have covered and not with the Spirit, your literall co­verings must be ript off, and your nakedness must appeare; that is the cause why you so oppose the light, and Spirit within, who have covered the outside but cannot abide the search within: he is come who made the heart and the warre is begun against the Dragon, so the devourer stands up one every side, and let that of God in thy conscience judge betwixt God and thee, on what part thou wilt be found, and how thou loves his glory, and what of the world thou denies for it, and if thou own him with the loss of all things, I say let that of God judge thee in secret, and thy practice openly, how thou ownes a Saints life and glory and way out of the world untill Christ appeare, whose light thou opposest to reward thereafter thy works, who art not in the worke of Christ nor the way of his ministers, their sufferings, and callings: nay if thou minde that in thy con­science which doth not change thou may see thy selfe in the world before their call out, and forsaken by them when they came to be disciples, and if ever thou own their call thou must own their Cross: though now the blind eye be up, and would enter another way then Christ and his dis­ciples hath gon, and so all you that denie the light and life, death in you gets the fame from without and therewith op­poses your selves, O you dead, deafe, and blind, who are now banded together against the light of Christ and his ap­pearance, [Page 6]how hath the God of this world besotted you, and filled your hearts with gross darkness above all you read of? did ever generation practise contrary to what they professed like you? you have gotten more words but less pō ­er then ever any of your Fathers, the persecuters & opposers ever had. doth not your great profession & little practice give an ill savour even amongst the heathen, so that the name of Christians is become odious, and they are become your Judges in the life of Christianity: doe not they who have not the letter without, who bring forth the effects of that law which God hath written in their hearts, become the Children of obedience before you, who have long said, I goe sir? hath not the greatest deceipt, pride, covetousness, and oppression, self-love, that ever was in the world since Cains time, now got a cover of prefession, and Church-name a mongst you? how are you got above all reproofe herein, for pride and stateliness, soe that the very language and gestures of the Saints, is abomination to you, and the sufferings of such as follow them, is not so much valued as you would do your dogs: how have you made these the times of advan­tage to exalt your selves, which God hath appointed to pull downe what was exalted? how have you eaten up the sins of them that went before you, and have added their curse to your own, so that double blindness and hardness is come upon you; And now you are more voide of feeling, and feare, then you was before ever you professed any thing of God; The Lord and his light be Judge amongst you who now can swallow downe, and live in that which once you could not have done for all the world; so let the Lord be witness and no deceiptfull lips, if I speake not the truth, as to many of you: how hath the enemie lead out your minds from the Spirit that while you are preaching the Saints words, you are not able to look within at your own contrary practice, and stop the mouth of the gainsayer, that so the true witness of God might arise in you, and let you see the cast away: surely you are they that are to be be­moaned above all other, who have had a measure of tender­ness, but now wholly lost; and not only so but now oppose [Page 8]it, in others who retaine it, nor would seeke after it: and now this being all, that this shaking and reformation hath brought forth in you, the righteous God hath cast you off and chosen things that are not, and things weake and foo­lish, and contemptible to confound the wise, and mighty and learned; And the Children of the Kingdom is casting out, and from farre they come to inherit, therefore the heads of the Serpent, and the beast and the prophet that tels lies, meete together to strengthen one another, and this is seene amongst you, of severall heads, and hornes, and collers, so to you all I write, and not to thee alone, who art but one joyned in amongst many, that if there be any a­mongst you that will own the despised light and search your hearts therewith, and try your waies, and returne to the Lord, that you may be healed, and with the light in thy conscience; thou maist take thine own, and so the rest of you, for his witness is faithfull and swift against you and accord­ing thereto he will proceed except ye repent.

FRiend, thou hast gathered up many Scriptures, which thou say'st dost witness against thy judgement and practice of the Quakers, with a charge as thou callest against them, but hast not proved one particular true; but if thine eye had been single, thou mightest have found thy selfe lying guilty under the condemnation there of in thy practice: so take them back again and consider of them, and let that of God in thy Conscience be judge; for so it shall at that day when he shall clear the innocent.

The Scriptures we own, and that Light and Spirit that gave them forth, whereby we know thou art not he that spoke those words to Job, but one that useth thy tongue, boasting in other mens lines, made ready without thee, to oppose that life wherein they lived, in his despised ones of this Generaion, whom not one of these Scriptures doth reprove, neither canst thou make it appear in any one particular.

Thou sayst, thus saith the Lord who hath washed away our sins in his own blood, I say, see it be so, least thou be found in sin, and so proved a false witness; for such are they who set up false Christs, who profess a Christ without power, and cry, loe here, loe there in outward forms with­out, but who hath the true Christ goeth nor forth: So con­sider the beam in thine own eye, and the nakedness thou tells of, appeareth in thy paper, & he that hath an eye doth see it. For the lusts of the flesh thou tells on: search and [Page 10]see if thou be not he that is found in the much wantonness thou speakest of, which we deny, a Servant to corrupt things, and would have others so also: if thou say we preach another Gospel, thou should have shewed wherein; but it is a small thing that we should be judged of man: thou sayst, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden works of darkness, and will make manifest the Counsels of thy heart: So it seems thou confessest a time of judgement where the Lord is come, which time we witness, and by the brightness of his comming the Man of sin revealed, and the Councels of thy heart made manifest, who to thy Mâster art fallen, and for him thoustandeth. Thou sayst, doubtless thou countest all things but losse and dung that thou may win Christ. I fay, take heed it be so; least when search is made, thou be found a lyar: thou sayest, let nothing be done in vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better then themselves: I say, remember this, and let it stop thy mouth when thou shalt plead for respect of persons, which the re­deemed ones John speaks of, are redeemed from, even out of Kingdoms, Tongues, People and Nations, and all their vain Customs and Worships, to worship God only; thou sayst thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God. I say, see thou doth so; but how is this fulfilled among you, who will binde gray hairs to bow down and worship you, where pride is got up in young ones: thus God never commanded, nor the Scriptures, as thou might have found, hadst thou had an eye to these Scriptures following, James 2.10. Joh 32.21, 22. Hest. 3. Prov. 28.21. Acts 10.18. Rom. 2.11, Ephes. 6.9, Jude 16. with divers others which maketh little for prides purpose, yet will they stand a witness against it for e­ver.

Now to thy slanders which thou hast added upon those thou callest deceived ones, thou sayst by our Doctrines and practice, we make little of Christ, which is at the right hand of God in the Heavens, That we make lesse of his word, the rule of righteousness and judgement, both of [Page 11]Doctrines, Men and Spirits, That we make nothing of his Ordinances, in which his Saints are to wait until his se­cond comming, That we revile his Ministers, that we con­demn his justified ones, who would deceive them of all that faith, hope, peace and joy in the holy Ghost, wherein the Church of the first born hath ever lived. To all which I say, thou hast proved thy self the man thou speakest on, who hast given thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit and slanders; and this must rest upon thee, till thou prove us guilty of these things thou hast falsely accused us, seeing thou layest the charge against all those thou callest Quakers, And for the Army of Martyrs, and their life thou tellest of, If thou minde that in thy Conscience, by which the Mi­nisters was guided, thou wilt finde it a witness against thee, who hast armed thy self with their words against their life, which is now made manifest in his despised ones, which thou amongst the rest hast lifted up thy Horn against; and thus thou shalt see when the book is opened, and that eye which the God of this world hath blinded: then shalt thou see, though that in thy Book is of little force against us, yet it riseth from the same root of envy, from whence hath sprung greater things; and that which hath stirred thee up to this, is but making the way for thee to follow them that imprisoned and shed the blood of the Martyrs: so take heed least thou proceed to faor, and be given up to have an hand in the same practise; for envy is as blind now as it was then, and there is nothing stops it but the measure of God and his light, which if thou forget and act against it when thou art found in the same work that hath been be­fore mentioned, thou mayst remember thou hast been warned.

For thy confused exhortation which riseth from the blind eye, it is judged with the light of Christ, who sees thy confusion, Thou sayst repent and become sinners, that we may be righteous in Gods righteousness: repent and be­come meek in spirit, and pure in heart, and so shall we see God: so thou mayst compare thy exhortation, and see how it will hold in the ballance of truth; but such repen­tance [Page 12]suits well with the love of the world, where you may live in your sins, and talk of Gods righteousness; but where the heart is purified, and God seen, your repentance is judged, and your vain talk of righteousness without life, and you are known to be of those which shall not be able to stand in the sight of God. So take thy exhortation back a­gain, and repent of thy false accnsations, and speaking evil of that thou knowes not, and publishing a generall charge that thou canst not prove, and make a search through thy paper; and what thou hast written more then the words of the Scripture, is but to add slanders and false accusations, and for the Scriptures thou hast printed, it is but that thon mightest turn them out of their place, to set them against that spirit that gave them forth, and they little suit for thy purpose. So when thy blind zeal is alittle abated, thou mayst see thy work and be ashamed: and learn when thou writest again to charge no more then thou canst prove, least whilst thou goest onto cast thy dirt upon others, whose lives thou canst not judge, thou receive thy own inside, and cover thy self with thy own shame: thou mayst receive this if thou canst from a lover of thy soul, who contendeth not for mastery, but to clear the truth, called